


Dimly lit rooms

by errantknightess



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 09:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8839861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/errantknightess/pseuds/errantknightess
Summary: Collected drabbles from a prompt meme on tumblr.





	1. You always have a choice

The room was still and silent in the gray gloom. Lavi blinked, twisting in the sheets until he faced the opposite wall. It was that dead hour between late at night and early in the morning, when every move felt eerily out of place. He had to move, though – he had to go. Slowly, he sat up and pulled the blankets away, shivering when the chill crept under his night shirt. The thought of stepping barefoot onto the cold stone floor made him wince. He braced himself, but before he managed to put his foot down, a coarse hand tugged at his elbow with gentle insistence.

“Allen?” Lavi leaned back, turning to look him in the open eye. “Why are you awake?”

“Why are _you_?” Allen mumbled and linked their arms, mindful not to scrape him with the rough skin of his innocence. “Get back here, I’m freezing.”

It scared him how easily he was convinced. With a sigh, Lavi fell back against his pillow and settled in again – just for a moment, he told himself, just for a little longer. Allen’s bed was beaming with their mingled warmth. The mattress dipped in the middle, rolling them close together. Lavi tangled their legs under the blankets, rocking the rickety springs as he shifted.

“I hate when you do that,” Allen said quietly, his voice barely raising over the creaking noise. “Don’t just disappear on me like this.” He looked up, and Lavi cursed himself for meeting his eyes.

“You know I _will_ , though, right?” he replied, after a silence a breath too long to be comfortable. “I’ve told you, I’m not gonna stay here forever. I’ll be gone one day, and who knows if I get to say goodbye. I’m just trying to make it easier.”

“Well, it’s not helping.“ Allen’s fingers burned around his wrist, squeezing harder with every word. “I don’t want to wake up every time and wonder if I’m never seeing you again.”

“I’m sorry.” Lavi tilted his head and pressed a kiss on Allen’s forehead. “I promise to wake you up in the middle of the night next time, if you insist.”

“Very funny,” Allen snorted, but Lavi felt him relax a little, sinking into the pillow with a defeated sigh. The grip on his hand loosened. For a moment they lay in silence, and Lavi started to wonder if Allen had drifted back asleep, when suddenly he spoke up again.

“You shouldn’t leave at all in the first place,” he said hoarsely. “You’re an exorcist. Your place is here, with us.”

“My place is with Bookman.” Lavi shook his head against the pillow, peering into Allen’s face in the dim light. “I’m only here by chance. It’s my duty, Allen. I don’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice,” Allen protested, his voice cracking. “You can still make one. You’re the only one who decides the path you take in your life.”

“And I’ve decided already. I’ve made a promise. You’d know what that means, wouldn’t you?” Lavi reached to push a strand of hair from Allen’s forehead, twirling it around his finger like a silver ring. He watched as Allen’s eyes filled with tears, finally spilling out when he nodded under his touch. This, at least, was something he could understand.


	2. Why the candles?

Lavi shut the door, immediately kicking his shoes off across the dark entryway. The house was unusually quiet. Has Allen gone out somewhere? No, his coat was still there; bewildered, Lavi hung his own jacket on top of it, when he noticed a soft glow coming from the living room.

“Allen? Are you there?” He poked his head around the corner and blinked in surprise at the sight. The big table in the middle was set for two, complete with neatly folded napkins and a pair of candles bathing the room in a low, golden light. Allen sat at the far end, perching at the edge of his chair and waggling his legs nervously. He raised his head as soon as Lavi called his name, sending him a small smile.

“Hi, Lavi. How was work?”

“Boring as always.” Lavi rolled his eye. “But now, _this_ is something new.” He smirked and came closer, leaning on the backrest of the empty chair opposite Allen. “Why the candles? Did I miss something?”

“No, no,” Allen assured quickly, waving his hands for emphasis. “I just… wanted to treat you to something special, that’s all.”

“No special ocassion?” Lavi raised his eyebrow. Spontaneous romantic outbursts weren’t exactly Allen’s domain.

“Not really. Is there anything wrong with that?” Allen scratched the back of his head with a sheepish look, and Lavi didn’t have the heart to question him further.

“Not at all. It’s cute.” He strode over to ruffle Allen’s hair and pulled him into a lazy half-hug, nearly dragging him off the chair. Allen let out a muffled squeak, his face pressed into Lavi’s stomach; he stumbled to his feet and gently freed himself from the embrace.

“Sit down, I’ll go get the food.” He shook his head with a smile and headed off to the kitchen, leaving Lavi to take his seat in the dim room. A moment later he was back with two plates, steering precariously across the room to set them down. “Here you are. Enjoy,” he sang.

“You know I will,” Lavi laughed, reaching for his fork and digging into the pile of rice and curry. “I love your cooking, it’s always ama–” he paused, rolling the bite he just took around in his mouth. It tasted… off. Very off. Not even remotely close to anything edible, generously speaking.

“Are you okay?” Allen asked through a mouthful, but in an instant his eyes bulged and he pulled a face, swallowing hastily and washing it down with a greedy gulp of water. “Oh god.”

“What did you put in there?” Lavi finally braved his bite and started to rake in his plate with the fork, peering at the food in the scarce candlelight. “It doesn’t _look_ bad. Maybe the spices expired or something?”

“Uhh… More like I mixed them up.” Allen dragged his hand down his face and leaned on his elbow, piercing his plate with a dull stare. “I… couldn’t really see what I was doing.”

“What do you mean?” Lavi looked at him across the table, his expression torn between confusion and concern. Allen sighed and pushed his plate away, looking back at him in defeat.

“The candles are not just for the atmosphere,” he said simply.

Lavi frowned, but his brain only needed a second to click.

“Don’t tell me,” he groaned, leaning back on the chair and bumping his head against the backrest. “You didn’t pay the bill again?”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Allen slumped onto the table, his face buried in his crossed arms. “I was going to get it sorted out first thing in the morning tomorrow.”

“You sneaky little thing,” Lavi chuckled. “Hey, cheer up. It’s not a big deal. We’ll survive. As long as you don’t cook until we get the light back.”

“I promise not to.” Allen smiled half-heartedly, but his face fell again when he looked down at the table. “I really did want to treat you, though.”

“You can take me out instead. We still need to eat something, right?” Lavi stood up and pulled Allen to his feet, pressing a fleeting kiss to the top of his head. “Come on. Your favourite place should still be open.”

“You don’t need to tell me twice.” This time, the smile was brighter, and even when they blew out the candles, Lavi swore he could still see it shine.


	3. Careful, it's wet

Oh god. He looked this way.

Lavi turned his head so fast he felt a nasty click in his neck. He knew he had been staring, and he knew Allen knew as well. It was kind of hard not to notice, and this gift shop was way too tiny to make it look like an accident. Feigning interest in the action figures in his line of sight, Lavi stole another peek out of the corner of his eye. Allen must have taken his intent gaze for a call for help, because he abandoned the trading cards he had been shelving and headed towards him with a smile that had undoubtedly charmed many a customer into spending money on random odds and ends they didn’t really need.

“Hi, Lavi. Can I help you?” he asked.

Lavi sputtered, his brain scrambling for a coherent sentence.

“Yeah, umm… Do you have– notebooks?” he blurted, mentally kicking himself as soon as the words left his mouth. This was _not_ what he wanted to ask.

“Sure.” Allen’s smile paled a little as he pointed towards the corner. “Our office supplies are right there. As usually,” he added, sending Lavi a puzzled glance.

“Right. Thanks.” Lavi turned on his heel and marched towards the shelf, screaming inwardly at the entire exchange. _Genius_. For how often he visited the store, he could shop here with both eyes covered; he knew that, and he new Allen knew. With a sigh, Lavi started to rummage through the notebooks, determined to think his next step over more carefully.

He couldn’t go on like this any longer; he’d throw a fortune on pads and pens if he keeps chickening out every time. And it’s not like he could just drop by for a chat day after day, either. Granted, Allen would do the same to _him_ whenever he came to the library – invariably on Lavi’s shift – but it still didn’t sit right with him. Grabbing a couple of spiral bound notebooks, Lavi took a deep breath and decided to resolve this matter once and for all.

As he scanned the cramped store, he spied Allen by the ceramics, coursing between the shelves and a huge box propping the back door open. Lavi made his way towards him through the narrow aisles, the notebooks crinkling a bit in his sweaty hands.

“Hey, Allen? Do you have a moment?”

“Yes?” Allen looked up from the cross-eyed porcelain figurines he has just put on the shelf and shuffled to the box to get more. Lavi followed, feeling as if his tongue turned to wood in his mouth.

“Careful, it’s wet.” Allen raised his hand, pointing to the freshly mopped floor underneath their feet. Lavi just nodded, too focused on what he was going to say next. For a moment, he paced nervously on the spot before he finally found his words.

“Um, remember those books you returned last time?” he asked quickly, his shoes squeaking on the shiny surface. “Because guess what, next week we’re hosting a meeting with the author, and since you liked them so much, I figured maybe we could– fuck!” his rapid stream of speech was cut off rather abruptly as his foot slipped on the damp tiles; the next second, Lavi was sprawled on the ground, hissing in pain and _really_ glad he didn’t grab on a shelf for balance.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Allen leaned over him, his eyes wide with concern. He reached out his hand, and Lavi took it eagerly, keeping a firm hold on it for maybe a little longer than he actually needed.

“Thanks, I’m fine.” He ran his hands over his aching backside and winced. The walk back home will be one hell of a ride.

“I’m so sorry. I did warn you, though.” Allen offered him a sympathetic smile, but just in a blink, it melted into something way more wicked. “So, what did you want to ask me? Last thing I heard, you suggested we should fuck.”

“Well, not right away– I mean–” Lavi buried his face in his hand, his cheeks blazing. “I was trying to ask you out. Sorry, I– I need to go.”

“What, already? I thought we’d need to set the time and all that.” Allen smirked.

“Wait, so… You’d actually go with me?” By this time, Lavi’s face was probably more red than his hair. Allen just laughed – a short, sweet laugh, like the clinking of porcelain.

“Of course. I thought you’d never ask.”

“Honestly? So did I,” Lavi chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “So… Next Thursday at five sounds okay?”

“Perfect. But seriously now, get off this wet floor. I don’t want you to crack your skull before our date.”


	4. You forgot, didn't you?

Allen slid into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The stagnant, heavy air immediately clung to his skin. Carefully balancing the steaming bowl in his hands, he made his way around the stacks of papers covering the floor and sat down at the edge of the bed in the corner.

“Hi, Lavi,” he whispered. “Are you feeling any better?”

Lavi mumbled something under the covers and pulled himself up a bit, wrinkling his nose at the groaning mattress.

“Define _better_.” His voice wasn’t much different from the croaks of the springs. The damp towel plastered to his forehead slipped down his face and fell onto the blanket with a plop. Allen scooped it up before it soaked the sheets.

“I’ll bring you a fresh one,” he offered, reaching to brush Lavi’s wet bangs away. His fingers skimmed over the clammy skin and Allen noted with relief that it was now cooler than before. “Looks like your fever has gone down a little, that’s good. Did you take your meds?”

“Meds?” Lavi’s bleary eye wandered around for a moment, finally focusing on the untouched box of pills sitting among the piles of used tissues on his nightstand. Allen followed his gaze and sighed.

“You forgot, didn’t you? You’re supposed to take one with each meal.”

“I was _sleeping_ ,” Lavi groaned hoarsely, sinking back into the pillow. “And I missed dinner, anyway. No pill without dinner.”

“Really now. How do you expect to get well if you don’t take care of yourself?” Allen shook his head with a pained look. “Please take it now, it’s time for the next dose. I brought you some soup.”

“But I don’t wanna.” Lavi pulled a face, shooting the box of pills a disdainful glace. “Have you _tried_ that stuff? It’s horrible!”

“It’s good for you, though.”

“It tastes like cat puke!”

“Lavi, don’t be a child.” Allen popped a pill onto his hand and grabbed a glass of water from the cluttered nightstand. “Come on, open up.”

Lavi grumbled, but took the pill, washing it down generously and making a show of shuddering in disgust. He handed the empty glass back to Allen and looked up at him with a red-rimmed, watery eye.

“There, happy now? Can you at least give me something to get rid of this hellish taste?”

“Of course, here’s your soup.” Allen nudged the bowl closer to him.

“Meh, that won’t cut it. Don’t you have anything sweet?”

“So picky.” Allen rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide his smile as he bent over to press a gentle kiss on Lavi’s chapped lips. “Is this better?”

Lavi blinked, his cheeks burning up, and Allen was pretty sure his fever struck back twofold. “It– it was a really strong pill,” he muttered.

“All right, just don’t infect me,” Allen chuckled, scooting closer on the bed and leaning in again. “Oh, wow. You were right, it really tastes awful.”

“Does that mean I’ll get a kiss with every pill now?”

“No, that means you won’t get any more kisses until you’re better. Eat up your soup, Lavi. And get well soon.”


	5. I was happier not knowing that

Shadows rippled across the room, a flickering mess of lines tangling with the cracks on the ceiling. Allen turned his head to the window; the night was windy, and the steady pounding of rain has been keeping him awake for hours. The heavy clouds, tinted with the orange glow of the streetlights, seemed to be burning from the inside. What a nightmarish weather.

As he lay there, watching the ghosts of raindrops and tree branches float over the walls, suddenly he saw a flash of light just in the corner of his eye. It was faint and brief, and he almost thought he had imagined it, until it happened again. And again. Allen sat up, craning his neck to peer out the window. He didn’t see the lightning; maybe it was just a car passing by? But then the flashes repeated, one after another, and Allen realized they were coming from the gap under his door. With a sigh, he got up and slid out of his bedroom, following the blinking lights across the hall. Now he started to hear voices, too - muffled buzzing sounds that he couldn’t quite make out. They barely got any louder even when he finally poked his head around the corner and reached their source.

The living room was bathed in the bluish glow from the TV. With the volume turned down low, Allen wasn’t sure what was on, but he recognized the logo of the history channel in the corner of the screen. _Of course_. He sighed again and turned to the heap of blankets on the couch, poking it with his finger.

“Lavi? Are you sleeping?”

“No,” came the absent-minded grunt of an answer, and the blanket pile turned around, blinking at Allen with a single glassy eye. “Why are you up?”

“It’s raining,” Allen explained, a soft smile playing on his lips as his roommate’s messy bedhead slowly emerged from under the covers. Lavi sat upright, tugging the blankets close around his shoulders, and shuffled towards the armrest.

“Come sit with me,” he offered, patting the sunken spot next to him on the couch. “I can’t hear much, but I’m really digging this program. Let’s watch it together.”

“You think you can bore me to sleep?” Allen chuckled, but obliged, plopping on the lumpy cushion beside Lavi. It was pleasantly warm, and it got even better when Lavi threw a thick blanket over his lap.

“If nothing else works.” Lavi shrugged and turned the volume up a notch; the droning of the narrator mixed with the background music, barely rising over the murmuring rain outside.

“What is it about?” Allen asked, leaning his head on Lavi’s shoulder as he made himself cosy in the bundle of blankets. The monotone sounds filtering from all around him were already starting to make him drowsy.

“The Celts,” Lavi muttered right by his ear, his breath stirring the stray strands of hair on Allen’s temple. “They’re a charming bunch. Did you know they liked to pickle the severed heads of their enemies to show them off at parties?”

“I was happier not knowing that,” Allen deadpanned, elbowing him lightly in the ribs – not that Lavi could feel much of that through the layers of blankets. “That’s all kinds of disgusting.”

“Hey, now I’m offended.” Lavi jabbed him in the stomach in retaliation, with similarly poor effect. “You know I’m part Irish, right? I’m pretty sure I’ve got Celtic roots somewhere down the line.” He bounced his leg, more and more agitated as he went on. “Maybe my ancestors were bards – that would sure explain my awesome memory. Those guys were supposed to learn all of the clan history and stuff by heart, and pass it on by word of mouth. How cool is that?”

“Wow.” Allen raised his eyebrows, a little stunned by the rapid waterfall of information. “That really does sound a lot like you, actually.”

“Told you.” Lavi rocked sideways on the couch, bumping into him with his shoulder. “It’s fascinating. Almost as neat as the pickled heads.”

“That’s arguable.”

“Come on, Allen.” With a grin, Lavi threw his arm around his roommate’s shoulders and pulled him close to ruffle his bangs, the forgotten program still droning on in the background. “I would totally keep your head in a jar with me forever and ever.”

“Please don’t. It’s disturbing.”

“Just kidding.” Lavi rolled his eye, burying his smile in Allen’s hair. “I’m lucky that I can still see your face every day even without that.”

“And let’s keep it this way.” Allen’s words came out muffled as he pressed his face against Lavi’s neck, soaking in the warmth and the faint smell of soap on his skin. The soft hum from the speakers mingled with the rustle of rain. Allen closed his eyes, letting it fade out slowly as the steady rise and fall of Lavi’s chest finally rocked him to sleep.


End file.
